Gate-operating mechanism



E'. CHRISTENSON.

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPHCATION mso JUL -Y 21. I921.

1,391 ,095. Patent-edSept. 20, 1921..

2 SHEET HEET llNlfEN 701;

Chrzstenson.

A TTORAEY E. CHRISTENSON.

GATE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION min JULY 21. l92l.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INIENTOR I A TTORA EV Patented Sept. 20,1921.

frgsz Clzrzlslenson.

To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES, PATENT oFFICE.

mms'r CHRIST-EDISON, or s'rocx'rol r, xAusAs.

oa'rn-ornnarme MECHANISM.

Be it known that I, ERNST CHRISTENSON, a citizen of the United States,residin at Stockton, in the county of Books and of Kansas, have inventedcertain new. and useful Improvements in Gate-Operating Mechanismyand Ido declare the following to be a full, clear,.and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertainsto make and'use the same, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and ,figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates :to railway crossing gate operating mechanism,the construction being such that the train will cause the gate orbarrier to swing into obstructing position parallel with the track andwhereby the train will also cause the gate or barrierto move out ofobstructing position or in other words, raise it in a substantially'vertical plane. g 1

The novel construction of the gate operating mechanism will be apparentby reference to the following description inconnection with theaccompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a perspective view of agate operating mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the weight guide and shiftable weightforming part of the invention. 1

.Fig. 3 is aside viewof the same showing the'no'rmal position of theparts, the weight being at one end-of the-guide in position to betripped. p v 7 Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the weight at the limitof its downward m0v.e--

ment at one end of -the guide, and v Fig. 5 isa view showingthe Weightshift ed to. the opposite end of the' guide ready.

to tilt it.

Referring now to Fig.1:

I -1 and 2 designate the railsof a railway' track, to one sideof whichis a casing 3 inclosing certain-gate operating mechanism to operate thegateor-barrieri, which may be provided with a hinged section5 adaptedtoswing out whenthe barrier 4 is in a horizontal plane and to fold," asshown in Fig. 1, when the barrier is in a vertical plane. The gate orbarrier 4 is fixed tea 'rock shaft 6 journals-din a bearing --7 atoneend 'of Specification of Letters Patent. Application flied July 21,

S tate Patented Sept. 20, 192.1. 1921. seriaino. 486,375.

the casing 3 and journaled in a bracket bearing 8 secured to one side ofthe casing 3, as will be clearly apparent by reference to Theprock shaft6 carries-at one end a I notched segment .9, adapted 'to be engaged by adetent 10 supported by the horizontal shaft 11, pivoted in a bearing 12carried by the-casing 3. The detent 10 is in the form of an elbow leverand the projecting portion 13 is engaged by one end of a spring 14, theother end being fastened at 15 to the casing 3 so that the detent 10wil1normally engage the slot or notch 16 in the segment 9.

- The shaft 11 extends through the casing, being journaled in thebearing 17 in one end of the casing 3 and on its free end is an armor'lever 18, having oppositely disposed I extensions 19- and 20.Theupper extension 19 has connected to it a flexible con-.

nection 21', adapted to pass through the gui'de22 supported from thepost 23, which maybe a telegraph-pole or other convenient support. "Oneend of the flexible connection 21' is fastened :to' theidepending arm 24of a rock shaft 25, journaled in bearings 26 and 27, supported by theties or similarsupport.

28 between the rails 1 and 2. The rock shaft is provided with anupstanding throw lever orarm 29,'as will be clearly apparent byreference to Fig. 1. I

At a convenient point adjacent. to the track is a support 30, which maybe a telegraph pole, carrying a spring or-yielding arm 31, connected tothearm 24;bythe connection' 32 so that the arm 31 will normally tend tomaintain the arm:.24-in position as shown in Fig. 1 and therebymaintain. the

throw lever 29 in a vertical :position. The

spring 14 preponderates over the spring arm similar: to 21, 24, etc, inan opposite direction to the throw lever 29 so that the device can beoperated if atrain is moving in either direction. The shaft 6 isprovided with a pinion 33, which'is, in mesh 'withthe teeth- 34 of arack bar '35, slidable in guides 36 and 37 the guides 37 being shown inFigs.

,3, 4, and 5. l The rack ba'r35 is alsopro-' vided with rack teeth 38'atright angles to the teeth34 and the latter teeth engage a segmental rack39 rigid on the troughshaped'weight guide 40, which'is pivoted on 41,The se menta r k 39 is pm" vided with a rockshaft 42, having a dependingarm 43, which engages. the

bracket 47.

The rock shaft 6 is also provided-with a crank 48, having a link 49pivoted at 50 to an elbow lever-51 which, in turn, is piv oted at '52 tothe casing 3, the lower armof the elbow lever carrying a weight 53 abovethe spring bracket 54 supported by one end of the trough-shaped guide40. 1 The bracketis adapted to contact with a spreadingstop 55, aswillbe explained hereinafter.

The end of the trough guide 40 opposite to the spring bracket isprovided with a throw arm 56, pivoted at 57 to the under side oftheguide 40'and provided with a stop 58 which] is normally held againstthe guide by a spring 59; The free end of the throw arm normally restsabove one arm of a U-shaped swinging lever 61 journaled in a bracket 62'carried by the inner wall of the casing 3, the

other arm 63 being adapted to lie on the op positeside'of a disk 64carried by the rock shaft .65 and journaled in the bearing 66in one endof the casing 3. The rock shaft 65 as will be clearly seen in Fig. 1 andthis lever is adapted to reset the 'mechanisni'to normal position sothat the gate orbarrier will be carries an upstanding arm or throw lever67,

raised as shown in Fig. 1. The disk 64 carries onone face two pins 68and 69 which are adapted to engage the under side of. arm

63 so that when a trainstrikes the lever 67" face with two camprojections 71' and'72 which lie in the path of the ball 7 0 when theparts are in normal position so that when the disk is turned bya passingtrain, the cam projections will also strike the ball and assist indriving it back to the far'end of-the guide 40. The operation is asfollows: I

from the casing 3, rocking the shaft 11 to thus throwing the ball to theopposite end of:

' main'poised behind the depending lip 73 of Suppose'a train is comingdown the track from left to right,it will first'strike the arm 29,pulling the arm 24 in a direction away withdraw the detent 10 so thatthe ball or weight 7 0 will cause the rack bar 35 to raise and swingthegate in a horizontal plane or substantially so. The gate will remainin this position until the train strikes the arm 67, when one of thecams 71 or 72' and the throw'arm 56 willstrike against the ball 70,

the trough-shaped member, Where it will re the spring bracket 54 andoverweight "that end of'the trough-shapedmember 40 to such T v piston.rod 44 of a check 45 pivoted at 46 to" the an. extent. as to cause thegate to be raised by actuatingtherackbar 35 and the gate will be heldin'the'raised' position by thedetent 1O, which will be snapped into thenotch 16 through the medium of the spring 14. The

operation of raising or lowering the gate will be gra'dual due tothecheck 45.

When the end ofjthe trough-shaped member carrying the bracket 54 hasbeen lowered to its limit (this beingslowly accomplished on accountofthe check), the lip'73 will con tactzwith' 55 and allow the bracket tofree enough toj-permit' the biall7( to escape so that it may run to theposition shown inFigs. 1 and 3, but the gate cannot drop to horizontalposition until the train has struck the arm 67.

It is'to be noted that the ball gets its firstimp'etus by one of thecams Her 7 2 striking thereagainst and as the arm 67 continues to swing,one of the pins 68 or69 will strike the arm 63, raising the ar1n60 sothat a'second blow will be imparted to the throw arm'56 to giveadditional forceto the ball and to in sure that the ball rides into thespace confined by the bracket '54. f

"The gate or barrier 4 may be provided with a counterbalance so as toreduce the re quired power necessary to operate it. Therej fore 'comarativel little )ower will-be re-,

-' 7 u l v n' qu rcdjto raise it fromafhorlzontal to a verticalposition. T

Attentionis also called to the fact that when the ball is trapped by thebracket 54 and starts to rock, the end of the troughshaped member 40which carries the bracket 54, will not be below the opposite end of thetrongh-shape'd member before the ball is re leased. Therefore, the ballwill always move backto the position shown in Fig. lwhen the lip hascontacted with the sto'pv54v so as to spread the bracketto'allow theescape of the ball. o 1 is What I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent is: e n

1. A' gate operating mechanism' comprising a barrier having a verticalswinging movement, a rock shaft to which the barrier is rigidly secured,a crank on said shaft, a counter-balance weight connected to the crank,a. pinion 'onthe shaft, a rack meshing with the pinion, a" 'rocklngftroughshaped 'weight guide, a toothed member on V the guide meshing withthe rack to "operate the rack when the guide rocks, a rolling weight inthe guide, a detent for normally holding the rock shaft inoperative, and

trainactuated means forwithdrawing the detent. a v

2; A gate operating mechanism comprising a barrier havinga verticalswinging.

movement, a rock shaft to'which the hammer is rigidly secured, a crankon said shaft, a

counter balance I wei ht connected to the crank, a pinion on-t e shaft,a rack meshing w th the pinion, a' rocking trough;

is rigidly secured, a crank on said shaft, a

counterbalance weight connected to the crank, a pinion on the shaft, arack meshing with the pinion, a rockingtrough-shaped weight guide, atoothed-member on the guide meshing with the rack to operate the rackwhen the guide rocks, a rolling weight in the guide, a detent fornormally holding the rock shaft inoperative, train-actuated means forwithdrawing the detent, and additional train-actuated means for tiltingthe trough-shaped guide, the second mentioned train-actuated meanscomprising a rock shaft, a disk on the rock shaft and means on the diskfor striking the rolling weight to tilt the guide. 1

4. A gate operating mechanism comprising a barrier having a verticalswinging movement, a rock shaft to which the barrier is rigidly secured,a crank on said shaft, a counter-balance weight connected to the crank,a pinion on the shaft a rack meshing with the pinion, a rockingtrough-shaped weight guide, a toothed member on theguide meshing withthe rack to operate the rack when'the guide rocks, a rolling weight inthe guide, a detent for normally holding the rock shaft inoperative,train-actuated means for tilting the trough-shaped guide,

the second mentioned train-actuated means comprising a rock shaft, adisk on the rock shaft and weight striking cams on the disk. 5. A gateoperating mechanism comprising a barrier having a vertical swingingmovement, a rock shaft to which the barrier is rigidly secured, a crankon said shaft, a counter-balance weight connected to the crank, a pinionon the shaft, a rack meshing with the pinion, a rocking trough-shapedweight guide, a toothed member on the guide meshing with the rack tooperate the rack when the guide rocks, a rolling weight in the guide, adetent. for normally holding the rock shaft inoperative, train-actuatedmeans for withdrawing the detent, additional train-actuated means fortilting the troughshaped guide, the second mentioned trainactuated meanscomprising a rock shaft, a disk on the rock shaft and weight strikingcams on the disk, a swinging lever for simultaneously striking theweight, and means on the disk for actuating the lever.

6. A gate operating mechanism comprising a rock shaft, a gate rigid withthe rock shaft, means for normally holding the rock shaft inoperative,train-actuated means for releasing the rock shaft, a rocking guidemember tiltable about a horizontal axis, means connecting the rockingguide member and the shaft to operate the shaft, a weight longitudinallymovable in the guide to tilt the guide member, a check connected to theguide, means at one end of the guide for normally retaining the weightagainst movement and a releasing stop member for releasing andpermittingthe weight to automatically return to normal position.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ERNST CHRISTENSON.

